Dying for a Garden Party

by V L McBeath

  “You’re ready to move on that’s what got into you, and I’m very glad for you. Now, why don’t we tidy up here and we can go for a walk? As Mr Pitt said, it will be snow and ice again soon enough.”

  Connie stood up and walked to the table. “Not too soon, I hope. Anyway, how did you get on with Mrs Petty earlier? Why wasn’t she in church?”

  “I don’t know, we didn’t see her.” Eliza picked up the plates and carried them to the kitchen. “The house was all locked up as if she’s gone away.”

  “What a strange thing to do. It was only Friday when she told us she’d see us this morning.”

  Eliza shrugged. “Maybe she had an unexpected offer. I’ll keep an eye out for her this week; she can’t have gone far.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Eliza was finished with the prescriptions sooner than usual thanks to the fact she’d enlisted Henry to help out in the dispensary.

  “That will do for this morning,” she said. “Have you finished with this magnesium oxide?”

  “Yes, I’m all done, here at least. Father wants to take me through some case notes while I’m here.”

  “Don’t sound so disappointed,” Eliza said. “This should help you when you get back to Cambridge. Not everyone can get hands-on practice so early on.”

  “I’m not disappointed, but I’m supposed to be on a break.”

  “We’re getting you used to the real world. You don’t get six-week-long breaks once you’re working.”

  “That’s why I want to make the most of them now.”

  “You do that already.”

  The front door clicked shut as the last patient left.

  “You might as well go and see your father now, he should be free. I’ll finish off here.”

  Eliza smiled as Henry disappeared. It was nice having him around and despite his protestations he was proving to be a good student. She put the last of the bottles into the cupboard and let out a sigh as the front door opened.

  “I’m sorry, we’ve finished for this morning.”

  “Shall I go away then?”

  Eliza straightened up and beamed at the dark-haired gentleman standing in her waiting area. “Inspector Adams, how marvellous to see you.”

  The inspector ran his fingers over his pencil-thin moustache. “That’s a nice welcome, I must say.”

  “We weren’t sure who to expect and so seeing you here is a pleasant surprise.”

  “So you can help us with our investigations, you mean.” He grinned at her before she could argue.

  “Of course we can help, as you well know, although–” she paused “–have you spoken to Sergeant Cooper?”

  “I have, but why are you looking so worried? He said you’d sat in with him on the interviews.”

  “We did, but did he mention he initially had me and Mrs Appleton as prime suspects?”

  Inspector Adams threw back his head as he laughed. “No, strangely enough he didn’t mention that.”

  “It was all a bit of a misunderstanding, but it was only because we saw all the goings-on in the minutes leading up to the shooting.”

  “Did you now? He didn’t tell me that either.”

  “No, there was probably no need. We managed to get the details from the real suspects by the end of Saturday. So, what’s he told you? Has he deduced who the killer is?”

  “His money’s on Mr Hartley’s son James. Constable Jenkins couldn’t find any member of staff who could confirm he had made the journey from the office to the billiard room prior to the shooting.”

  “That’s interesting. I’ve not spoken to him since he sent Constable Jenkins off to find out. What about Georgina Hartley and the other son? Could anyone confirm they were in the billiard room when they said they were?”

  Inspector Adams paused. “That’s interesting too. He found a maid who said she saw them in there at about three o’clock but nobody can confirm the earlier timings.”

  “So Maria Hartley was right. They could have been in it together.”

  “That’s what Sergeant Cooper suspects.”

  “What do we do now then? Are you going back to Oak House?”

  “Yes, that’s the plan. I’ve asked Sergeant Cooper to call and ask everyone to make themselves available from half past one. I just wanted to call here first to get your opinions of what happened on Saturday. See if you agree with Sergeant Cooper.”

  Eliza laughed. “I agree with Sergeant Cooper much more than I have in the past but while I agree that James Hartley is a key suspect I don’t think we can discount Maria Hartley either.”

  “But she’s a woman.”

  “Don’t sound so surprised, women can shoot handguns, you know.”

  Inspector Adams looked perplexed. “But the victim died with a single shot.”

  Eliza shook her head. “Come now, Inspector. Let’s not go through that again, I’m just saying keep an open mind.”

  “Sergeant Cooper doesn’t think she was involved.”

  “And there might be other reasons for that, which I won’t go into now. Why don’t you come through to the house and we can discuss it while we wait for luncheon? By the way, my father’s here … and Henry. They’ll be joining us and I’m sure they’ll both be pleased to see you.”

  “I’m sure that sounds splendid, lead the way.”

  Eliza ushered the inspector into the empty dining room where they took a seat. “Before I divulge all my secrets, can I assume I’m allowed to sit in on the interviews with you, along with Mrs Appleton, of course? We are eyewitnesses to a lot of what happened after all; you may need us.”

  “I’ll already have Sergeant Cooper.”

  “And you think that’s enough?”

  The inspector chuckled. “Maybe you’re right, we just don’t want the suspects to feel too intimidated.”

  “As if we’d intimidate anyone.”

  Inspector Adams tutted. “All right then. Now, what were you going to tell me?”

  Eliza walked to the sideboard and retrieved a piece of paper from the top. “After the interviews on Saturday, we thought of a few more questions that need answering. I’ve written them down. The most important thing is to find out who benefits from the will. I’ve got a feeling this whole incident is down to money.”

  “A new wife causing the sons to be disinherited, you mean?”

  “Exactly. It wouldn’t be the first time someone’s been murdered because of the legacies in their will. Once we see that, I wonder if everything else might fall into place.”

  Inspector Adams scanned down the other questions on the list. “It certainly seems like a good place to start. We’d better not waste too much time getting there.”

  Inspector Adams left the surgery to go back to the police station as soon as luncheon was over while Eliza called next door for Connie. She let herself into the living room and was pleased to see the place as spick and span as usual.

  “How are you feeling today?”

  “Much better, thank you.”

  “Can you face another visit to Oak House? I’ve arranged to meet Inspector Adams at the gates at quarter past one.”

  “Inspector Adams? I’m sure I can.” There was determination in Connie’s voice. “I’ve given myself a good talking-to.”

  “And you’re sure you’re ready to see Maria Hartley again?”

  “I’m sure. I was being silly, I can see that now.” Connie frowned at her reflection as she fixed her hat. “I won’t shed any tears, though, if she’s charged with murder.”

  “I’ll be watching you. Don’t go giving Sergeant Cooper any false information about her.”

  “Sergeant Cooper? Will he be there?” Connie’s eyes expanded. “You said we were meeting Inspector Adams.”

  “We are, but he’s gone to fetch the sergeant. That’s why he’s not with me.”

  Connie glared down at her outfit. “I can’t go out like this; you’ll have to wait. I’ve got that new lemon dress I’ve not worn much. I might as well get my wear out of it while the
weather’s nice.”

  Eliza stood at the bottom of the stairs and shouted up. “I hope we’re not going to have this every time we go out. You’ll have to invest in a new wardrobe otherwise.”

  “It’s all right for you, you always look nice. You don’t have to make do. Besides, you know Dr Thomson wouldn’t look twice at Maria Hartley.”

  “I seem to think that Sergeant Cooper has liked you for long enough that he won’t mind what you’re wearing or what your hair looks like. We need to hurry, they’ll be waiting for us.”

  A minute later, Connie hurried to the top of the stairs. “I’m ready now. Do I look all right?”

  “You look fabulous, now come on. If they go in without us, I won’t be very pleased.”

  The two police officers were waiting for them when they arrived and Eliza fought to hide her gasps for air.

  “Sorry we’re late.” She put a hand on her chest to steady her breathing.

  “It was my fault.” Connie blushed as Sergeant Cooper looked her up and down.

  “My, Mrs Appleton, don’t you look nice. Far too smart for a Monday afternoon.”

  Connie glanced down at her outfit. “It’s nothing really, just something I found in my wardrobe.”

  Eliza detected a smile on Inspector Adams’ lips. “Shall we go in, Inspector? We’ve got quite a lot to do.”

  A maid answered the door when they arrived and immediately showed them up to the dining room.

  “Before we start, could I take a look at the murder scene?” Inspector Adams said. “It’s still sealed off, I presume?”

  “Yes, sir. I can take you there now.”

  The inspector glanced at the maid. “Thank you, but I’m sure we can find our own way. I do have a favour to ask though. Could you find Benjamin Dalton for us? I have a question for him before we see anyone else. Can you send him to the office?”

  “Very good, sir.” With a slight curtsey, she disappeared down a narrow staircase that ran adjacent to the main stairs.

  “Down here, Inspector.” Eliza walked past the lift and into the corridor leading to the office. Once they arrived, she opened the door and stepped inside but stopped when Inspector Adams joined her. “This room’s been disturbed.”

  “Are you sure? Could it have been while they were removing the body?”

  “It could have been, but I’d say there’s more to it than that.” Eliza entered the room and walked to the desk but touched nothing. “The papers have been moved. I remember thinking on Saturday how neat the piles were but look at them now. Do you remember them, Sergeant?”

  Sergeant Cooper joined her at the desk. “I don’t specifically remember, but I’d say they weren’t untidy like that.”

  “You mean someone may have been looking for something?” Inspector Adams asked.

  “That’s what it looks like to me. The will perhaps. Or maybe the key for the safe.”

  “Has anything else been touched?”

  “Not that I can immediately see.”

  Eliza and Sergeant Cooper walked the inspector around the room, pointing out things of interest.

  “This curtain’s been straightened,” Eliza said as they reached the window. She took hold of it to show how it had been caught on the window when they’d first found the body. “It was like this, although I suppose the window’s been opened and closed again since Saturday. That’s why we thought someone may have escaped this way.”

  Inspector Adams peered through the window. “It’s a possibility.”

  Eliza followed his gaze before pointing down to the top of the entrance porch. “Look down there. Would you say those marks are footprints on the roof?”

  “They could be,” Inspector Adams said. “We’ll have to get Constable Jenkins up there to take a closer look. That’s how you think the killer got down, I take it?”

  “Exactly…”

  A cough behind them stopped their discussion.

  “The maid said you wanted to see me?”

  “Benjamin.” Eliza flashed him her best smile. “Thank you for coming. This is Inspector Adams from New Scotland Yard. He wants to see everyone again this afternoon, but first we need to see a copy of the will. We’ve heard you’re the most likely person to have a key to the safe. Could you open it for us, please?”

  Benjamin hesitated. “You want me to open it?”

  “I do,” Inspector Adams said. “This is a criminal investigation now and you can get yourself into serious trouble if you fail to help.”

  Benjamin let out a small yelp. “Yes, of course. I’ll need to get the key; it’s in my room.”

  “Sergeant Cooper, you go with him.”

  “What’s the matter, don’t you trust him?” Connie asked once the two men had left them.

  “It’s not that I don’t trust him, but I’ve worked on enough murder cases to know not to trust anyone, not until a conviction’s been handed down and the criminal’s locked away. They’re a slippery bunch.”

  “I’m sure we’ll get to the bottom of it soon enough,” Eliza said. “It has to be someone in this house.”

  “What’s keeping them?” Inspector Adams asked five minutes later. “I appreciate the house is big, but it’s not that big.”

  “Sorry for the delay, Inspector.” Sergeant Cooper blustered back into the room. “Benjamin couldn’t find the key and we were worried it had been taken.”

  “It hasn’t, has it?” Eliza’s eyes flicked from Sergeant Cooper to Benjamin, who followed him into the room.

  “No, we found it. Since Mr Hartley died, I’ve been keeping it in a box under a loose floorboard in my room, but when we went upstairs, it wasn’t there.” Benjamin’s face twitched.

  “It took a while but eventually I found it under a large wardrobe.” Sergeant Cooper puffed out his chest.

  “How would it have got there?” Eliza raised an eyebrow but Benjamin refused to answer. “Never mind for now, at least you have it. Can we get this safe open?”

  Benjamin stepped forward and opened the mahogany front of a large cupboard that stood behind the door. Towards the back was a second, less ornate door that concealed the safe. With his fingers trembling, he slid up what appeared to be a metal badge before he slipped the key into the now apparent keyhole. After turning it twice, he twisted the large handle in the middle of the door causing it to swing open.

  “Remind me how you know of the safe,” Inspector Adams said to Benjamin.

  “I worked for Mr Hartley and so I needed access.”

  Inspector Adams nodded. “Good. Now, is there a will in here?” He lifted out a stack of papers and placed them on the desk.

  “Let me,” Eliza said. Her fingers worked quickly to flick through the pile and about halfway down she found what she was looking for. “Here we are.” She pulled a sheet of paper from an envelope. “The Last Will and Testament of Edward Hartley, dated the 15th day of September, 1896. That’s nearly five years ago.”

  She peered at the remaining papers in the envelope. “It may take us a while to read through this. Benjamin, do you know if Mr Hartley changed his will in the last five years?”

  Benjamin shook his head. “I couldn’t say.”

  “It would save us all a lot of time if you tell us now whether this has been updated,” Inspector Adams said. “We’re checking with his solicitor in London, and so we’ll find out if he did.”

  “No, I swear I don’t know. The only thing I can suggest is you search through everything else. Mr Hartley wouldn’t have changed his will without keeping a copy.”

  “That’s a good point.” Eliza handed the inspector the will and continued searching through the pile. “No, there’s nothing else there, not relating to the will at any rate. There’s a lot of financial documents though that certain members of the family might like to get hold of.”

  “All right, let’s get them back in the safe and once it’s locked, I’ll keep the key,” Inspector Adams said. “We don’t want anything going missing, do we?”

  Chapter Twelver />
  Eliza sat next to Inspector Adams at the dining-room table and read the will that was placed between them.

  “Gracious,” she said when she reached the bottom of the second page. “Maria Hartley wasn’t exaggerating when she said it was complicated.”

  “What does it say?” Connie asked.

  “It’s more what it doesn’t say.” Eliza sat back in her chair. “We need to find out the exact date of the marriage between Mr Hartley and Maria. In a nutshell, it says that if Mr Hartley dies within the first five years of their marriage, she’ll be entitled to an allowance of one thousand pounds a year, which must come from assets that will go into a trust. The rest of the estate will go to James and Robert.”

  “And what happens after five years?” Sergeant Cooper asked.

  “She gets the lot.” Eliza’s eyes flitted between Connie and the sergeant.

  “So the sons get nothing?” Connie sat herself on the seat opposite.

  “That’s my reading of it. Do you agree, Inspector?”

  Inspector Adams stood up and walked to the window. “We’ll need to get someone with a legal brain to check the wording, but I’d say that just about sums it up.”

  “Well, I’ll be blowed,” Sergeant Cooper said. “That’s a right turn-up.”

  “Anyone any idea when they got married?” Inspector Adams asked.

  The three of them shook their heads, but Eliza stopped. “Wait a minute, didn’t Father tell us? He said he’d spoken to Mrs Hartley about going on the train to Scotland, and she’d told him it was shortly after she’d got married … about five years ago.”

  “Yes.” Connie’s eyes sparkled. “And Mrs Petty told us that news of the divorce was in the papers in 1896.”

  “The same year the will was written,” Eliza said.

  “That’s right.” Connie was bouncing. “She said Mr Hartley had married Maria within a month. That would all fit together. She must be the killer.”

  “Not necessarily, Mrs Appleton.” Inspector Adams’ tone subdued the mood in the room. “It all depends on whether the five-year date was just approaching or had passed.”